Rotating electrical connector ADN respiratory gas delivery system employing same

Abstract

A connection assembly for rotateably and electrically coupling an accessory to a main device includes a housing portion, a rotatable port assembly, and a wire assembly. An end of the port assembly is coupled to the accessory. The port assembly includes an electrical connector member having a first connector end electrically coupled to the accessory. The wire assembly has an electrical wire member having a first end electrically coupled to a second connector end of the electrical connector member and a second end electrically coupled to a power supply. The wire member is spooled around the port assembly and encased in a chamber defined between the housing portion and the port assembly. Rotation of the port assembly in opposite directions causes the electrical wire member to spool more and less tightly around the port assembly without causing pinching or tangling of wires.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connection assembly for rotateably coupling an electrical accessory component to a main device and providing electrical power from the main device to the accessory component, comprising:
 a housing portion; 
 a port assembly rotateably coupled to the housing portion, the port assembly having a first end and a second end configured to pass a gas therethrough, the second end of the port assembly being coupled to the accessory component, the port assembly including an electrical connector member having a first connector end electrically coupled to the accessory component and a second connector end; and 
 a wire assembly having an electrical wire member having a first end electrically coupled to the second connector end and a second end electrically coupled to a power supply of the main device, wherein a portion of the electrical wire member is spooled around the first end of the port assembly and encased in a chamber defined between the housing portion and the port assembly, wherein the housing portion includes a recess having a bottom surface, wherein the port assembly is rotateably received within the recess, wherein the chamber extends from a bottom surface of a base portion of the port assembly to the bottom surface of the recess in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the recess, wherein the chamber is sized to prevent the portion of the electrical wire member from pinching or tangling during rotation of the port assembly, wherein the electrical wire member includes at least one wire having a wire diameter, and wherein a height of the chamber measured in the direction is between one and two times the wire diameter, and wherein rotation of the port assembly in a first direction causes the portion of the electrical wire member to spool more tightly around the first end of the port assembly and rotation of the port assembly in a second direction causes the portion of the electrical wire member to spool less tightly around the first end of the port assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The connection assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of the chamber is one and a half times the wire diameter. 
     
     
       3. The connection assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the wire assembly further includes a harness member, wherein a second portion of the electrical wire member separate from the spooled portion of the electrical wire member is received in an elongated portion of the harness member, and wherein the harness member is coupled to an inner surface of the housing portion adjacent to the recess. 
     
     
       4. The connection assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the elongated portion is received in a channel provided on the inner surface of the housing portion. 
     
     
       5. The connection assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the harness member includes a limit portion coupled to the elongated portion, wherein the limit portion is received in an orifice provided in the bottom surface of the recess, and wherein the limit portion is structured to limit rotation of the port assembly to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       6. The connection assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the limit portion is structured to limit rotation of the port assembly to about 180 degrees. 
     
     
       7. The connection assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the limit portion includes a limit feature having first and second engagement surfaces, wherein the port assembly includes a semicircular wall having third and fourth engagement surfaces, wherein the first engagement surface is structured to intermittently engage the third engagement surface and the second engagement surface is structured to intermittently engage the fourth engagement surface to limit rotation of the port assembly to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       8. The connection assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the wire assembly is structured to limit rotation of the port assembly relative to the housing portion to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       9. The connection assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the wire assembly includes a limit portion received in an orifice provided in the bottom surface of the recess, and wherein the limit portion is structured to limit rotation of the port assembly to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       10. The connection assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the limit portion is structured to limit rotation of the port assembly to about 180 degrees. 
     
     
       11. The connection assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the limit portion includes a limit feature having first and second engagement surfaces, wherein the port assembly includes a semicircular wall having third and fourth engagement surfaces, wherein the first engagement surface is structured to intermittently engage the third engagement surface and the second engagement surface is structured to intermittently engage the fourth engagement surface to limit rotation of the port assembly to less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
       12. A respiratory gas delivery system having a connection assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the respiratory gas delivery system includes the accessory component of  claim 1 , wherein the connection assembly is coupled to the accessory component and is structured to provide electrical power to the accessory component, wherein the respiratory gas delivery system includes the main device of  claim 1  and wherein the main device has a main housing coupled to the housing portion of the connection assembly. 
     
     
       13. The respiratory gas delivery system according to  claim 12 , wherein the accessory component is a heated gas delivery tube, wherein the port assembly includes a conduit member, wherein the second end of the conduit member is fluidly coupled to the heated gas delivery tube, and wherein the first end of the conduit member receives a flow of breathing gas generated by the respiratory gas delivery system. 
     
     
       14. The respiratory gas delivery system according to  claim 13 , wherein the port assembly further includes a cover member coupled to conduit, and wherein the electrical connector member is part of the cover member.